Toy hoop having a movable weight member



July 25, 1967 H, c. ALEXANDER 3,332,166

TOY HOOP HAVING A MOVABLE WEIGHT MEMBER Filed Feb. 7, 1964 United States Patent O 3,332,166 TOY HOOP HAVING A MOVABLE WEIGHT MEMBER Hugh C. Alexander, Bronx, N.Y., assignor of fifty percent to Paul J. Sutton, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Feb. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 343,276 3 Claims. (Cl. 46-220) This invention relates generally to toys and more particularly to toys that are spun or rolled,

While toys of this type are generally not new, it is an object of this invention to provide such a toy which spins or rolls at an erratic speed.

Another object of this invention is to provide the foregoing toy which has means which not only causes such erratic speeds but tends to hold the toy in one of the predetermined positions when it has ceased to spin or roll.

And another object of the present invention is to provide a toy which spins or rolls which may be used in water and on land.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will be more fully understood by those skilled in the art by referring to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a toy made in accordance with the present invention while in use in water,

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the novel toy of FIGURE 1 with a portion thereof broken away,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View showing a connection of the toy of FIGURES 1 and 2.

One form of the invention is shown in FIGURES 1 to 3 wherein a circular hoop 10 is formed of three arcuate tube portions connected at their ends 13 by tubular connectors 12. The tube portions 11 and the connectors 12 dene a circular chamber 14 which houses a ball weight 15, while the spaced ends 13 of tube portions 11 disposed in each connector 12 forms traps which tend to retard movement of the ball 15. When the hoop 10 is rolled or spun, ball 15 will tend to remain in one of the connectors 12 until it moves upwardly and the ball 15 enters a tube portion 11. As the hoop rotates, ball 15 will continue to move to the next connector. The Weight of ball 15 will tend to slow hoop rotation when it is disposed in a connector 12 that is moving upwardly. The weight of ball 15 willhold the hoop in a vertical attitude in water as shown in FIGURE 1 with the trap in which it is disposed in the lowermost position. It will be further noted that in said FIGURE 1, this particular form of invention may especially be used for amusement purposes by swimmers who will try to swim through the loop of the hoop 10, while the hoop is partly submerged in Water in a substantially vertical position, which may require some skill of the swimmer to accomplish such a feat.

Each tube portion 11 may be of a color diierent from rice the others and is opposite a connector 12 dening a trap for ball 15.

Thus, it can be seen that a toy in accordance with the present invention may be in the form of a hoop having a circular outer surface. Colors or color areas are applied to the toy each disposed opposite a trap.

While certain novel features of my invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A toy comprising a tubular annulus defining a charnber therein, a plurality of circumferentially spaced traps located in said chamber, a ball weight movably disposed in the chamber and said traps, said traps releasably holding the ball weight from free movement in the chamber, and the outer surface of the annulus having color areas each of a different color than the others, each of the color areas being disposed diametrically opposite one of the traps.

2. A toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tubular annulus comprises a plurality of separate arcuate tube portions arranged in end to end relationship to form a hoop, a plurality of tubular connectors each joining adjacent ends of the tube portions and each connector deining a trap while the tube portions and connectors define the chamber.

3. A toy comprising an annular tubular hoop defining a chamber therein, a plurality of spaced traps circumferentially disposed in said chamber, a ball weight movably disposed in the chamber and said traps, said traps releasably holding the ball weight from free movement in the chamber, and the outer surface of said hoop having indicia marked areas, each area being disposed opposite one of the traps.

References Cited Y UNITED STATES PATENTS 973,595 10/ 1910 Wahlin 273-146 2,044,122 6/1936 Michener 273-146 X 2,644,270 7/ 1953 Marong 46-43 2,747,196 5/ 1956 Kaye. 2,946,152 7/1960 Rubin 46-114 X 3,109,651 10/ 1963 Wheeler 272--57 X FOREIGN PATENTS 353,167 7/ 1931 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner.

ROBERT F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TOY COMPRISING A TUBULAR ANNULUS DEFINING A CHAMBER THEREIN, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED TRAPS LOCATED IN SAID CHAMBER, A BALL WEIGHT MOVABLY DISPOSED ING THE CHAMBER AND SAID TRAPS, SAID TRAPS RELEASABLY HOLDING THE BALL WEIGHT FROM FREE MOVEMENT IN THE CHAMBER, AND THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE ANNULUS HAVING COLOR AREAS EACH OF A DIFFERENT COLOR THAN THE OTHERS, EACH OF THE 